Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass review: The ultimate kart racer

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was already a strong contender for the title of ‘best Mario Kart game of all time’, but with the addition of the Booster Course Pass DLC, it’s snatched the crown with ease.

I’ll admit, when a DLC expansion for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was first announced, I was both sceptical and disappointed. Partly because I didn’t think it needed any DLC, and also because it meant a brand-new Mario Kart game was likely going to be a long way off.

Now, after two years of being drip-fed classic courses and more playable characters, the Booster Course Pass is finally complete - and I’m happy to say I’ve been won over. So much so that I’d argue this is one of the best DLC expansions of all time.

Pedal to the metal

The premise of the Booster Course Pass is a simple one: double the number of courses available in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe by bringing back old favourites alongside a sprinkling of new tracks. With an additional 48 courses included, that means you’ve got a whopping 96 tracks to cause mayhem on.

That would be an impressive number for any racing game, but it’s especially so in Mario Kart, where the tracks are always the star of the show. While there are a few duds, the majority of the courses included are as fun as ever, bursting with personality and the occasional secret path to discover.

Scrolling through the list of DLC tracks is like looking at an icon’s gallery through the years, all the way from SNES classic Bowser’s Castle 3 to the Wii’s devilishly difficult edition of Rainbow Road. In between you’ll find fan-favourites like the GBA’s Sky Garden and the Gamecube’s Daisy Cruiser.

You don’t need to have played these courses before to appreciate them. In fact, the joy of discovering them for the first time might be even more exciting. But there is a lovely burst of nostalgia when revisiting the tracks you used to race against your friends on as a teenager, like the brilliant Coconut Mall.

Now, about those duds. The city-based courses taken from the mobile game Mario Kart Tour are the obvious weak links here. They're a mixed bag; some are fun, some are boring, and some are downright confusing to navigate. I've never crashed into the barriers more than I have done on Amsterdam Drift.

It’s a shame there are so many of these in the Booster Course Pass, as I'm sure most Mario Kart fans would have preferred more Gamecube or DS classics to take their place.

To be fair, the Tour courses aren't bad, and it's nice to play 'spot the landmarks' as you cruise around the corners of Paris or Rome. The problem is they just don’t live up to Mario Kart's high standards.

All hail Birdo

Alongside those 48 courses are a handful of extra characters, with some glaring omissions from the base game like Birdo (an icon!) and Diddy Kong now finally taking their rightful place in the roster.

Then there are some less obvious additions like Wiggler and Funky Kong, as well as New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe’s Peachette. Some may argue that another Peach variant is a wasted slot, but I’ve already decided I’m going to be a Peachette main until I die.

As far as DLC expansions go, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass is one of the best I've ever owned. For just £22.50 (or less if you find a good deal), you're doubling the amount of race courses you can play and even getting a few extra characters thrown in for good measure.

Better still, your friends who don't have the Booster Course Pass can still race on the courses if you play together online. I wouldn't go as far as to call it essential - the base game is great enough by itself - but there's no reason not to get it if you're a big Mario Kart fan.

The Verdict

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was already a top-tier party game, but the addition of the Booster Course Pass makes it the definitive way to burn rubber and throw green shells with friends - and it's excellent value for money.

5/5

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch. Review code provided by the publisher